Three major airports in the Baltimore and Washington, DC area, including Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), experienced a ground stop on Friday afternoon, impacting hundreds of flights and thousands of travelers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the incident was due to a strong odor emanating from Potomac TRACON, which is responsible for air traffic control services to Baltimore and other regional airports, CBS News reported.
“The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) because of a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers,” the agency confirmed to WJZ.
The ground stop, which was initially anticipated to end at 7:00 p.m., has now been extended to 12:59 a.m. and is currently classified as a ground delay at BWI, according to the FAA. Despite this improvement in status, many travelers remain uncertain about when they will be able to catch their flights home.
The incident comes as Democrats continue to oppose funding agencies at the Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration, which is responsible for airport security. TSA agents, Coast Guard personnel, and others have gone two weeks without pay; reports said this week that scores of TSA agents are leaving for other employment.
“They just keep delaying it,” said Maggy Osha, on her way home to San Francisco. “I don’t know how long it will be delayed for…but it’s super frustrating that now it’s going to land at 3 a.m., so now I won’t get any sleep.”
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation last week to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end a weeks-long partial shutdown, with four Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measure. The measure has since stalled in the Senate, where Democrats – with the exception of Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania – have refused to support it.
The bill cleared the House by a 221–207 vote, mostly along party lines, and would fund DHS operations through the end of the fiscal year. Most Democratic lawmakers opposed the measure, citing disagreements over immigration enforcement policies and oversight provisions.
The legislation came amid an ongoing standoff in Congress that has left the department partially shut down for several weeks. Funding lapses have affected several DHS activities, including some training programs and grant funding, though essential personnel such as airport security officers and Coast Guard members have continued working for the most part.
The Democrats voting in favor were Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, the Washington Times reported.
“But the Senate shot down a similar measure earlier Thursday in a 51-45 procedural vote that fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance it. Only one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, voted with Republicans,” said the outlet.
Supporters of the bill said the measure was necessary to restore full funding for border security, cybersecurity operations, and emergency preparedness programs. Opponents argued that the legislation did not sufficiently address concerns about immigration enforcement practices and oversight of federal agents.
Lawmakers from both parties have continued negotiations as the shutdown dispute remains tied to broader debates over immigration policy and the role of federal enforcement agencies.
Elements of DHS have been shut down since February 14, when its temporary funding expired. However, agencies under its umbrella, such as FEMA and the TSA, are considered essential, so their employees have been working without pay. Meanwhile, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also under DHS, has furloughed some of its employees.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, Oklahoma Republican, said on the House floor Thursday that the funding is “critical…at such an important time for our country.”